Needle

ABSTRACT

A needle having a point portion which is connected to a shank portion. Intermediate the shank and point portions is a hook which is adapted to receive thread. When the point and shank portions are flexed, the jaws of the hook spread apart so as to allow easy threading. When flexural pressure is removed, the thread is biased in the hook. Opposing sides of the shank portion may be flat and knurled.

I United States Patent I 13,565,302

[72] Inventor Robert S- Dyer 1,341,357 5/1920 Careaga 223/102 4315 N. Pennsylvania St.,lndianapolis, 1,607,479 11/1926 Raper 223/102X Ind. 46205 2,781,957 2/1957 Le Szen 223/102 [21} Appl. No. 841,190 2,878,979 3/1959 Lippard 223/102 g ted Primary ExaminerJordan Franklin a en Assistant Examiner-George H. Krizmanich Attorney-Woodard, Weikart, Emhardt & Naughton [54] NEEDLE 4 Claims, 2 Drawing Figs. [52] US. Cl 223/102 [51] Int. Cl D05b 85/00 [50] Field of Search 223/ 102; ABSTRACT; A needle having a point portion which is com 112/224 222; 128/339, 34066/11657/(n nected to a shank portion. Intermediate the shank and point Search); 163/010 5ea1'ch);206/(n Search) portions is a hook which is adapted to receive thread. When R f Cted the point and shank portions are flexed, the jaws of the hook e I spread apart so as to allow easy threading. When flexural pres- UNIT ED STATES PATENTS 1,070,941 8/1913 Bell sure is removed, the thread is biased in the hook. Opposing sides of the shank portion may be flat and knurled.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention is concerned with an easy threading needle structure. More specifically the needle of this invention has a point and a shank with a thread receiving hook intermediate the point and shank.

2. Description of the Prior Art Needles for many thousands of years have been nothing more than a straight shank, one end being pointed and the other end forming an eye. In order to permit the needle to pass freely through cloth or fabric when threaded, the eye is a small as possible. Because of its'small size, it is usually very difficult to pass the end of a thread through the eye in order to thread the needle. The threading of the majority of the prior art needles is such a tedious task that it usually requires a person of good eyesight and manual dexterity.

In order to overcome these problems, easy threading needles have been developed in the prior arts. Typical easy threading needles are illustrated in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,595,758; 2,872,092; 2,72l,Ol4 and 3,031,116. The needles of these patents incorporate eyes with 'slots therein, whereby thread can be passed into the eye without passing a thread end through the eye.

While the needles of these patents are an improvement over the general prior art, these structures are still troublesome in that their eye portions are rather complex and hence hard and expensive to manufacture. Likewise these complex eye portions tend to be rather fragile.

' Finally, the prior art structures, including the improvements as described above, are disadvantageous in that the eye or thread-retaining means is located near the end of the needle. Because of this, extreme difficulty can be encountered in passing the threaded needlethrough a layer of cloth. This difficulty results from the fact that when the thread is being passed through the cloth the needle encounters its maximum resistance. However, it is at this point that the exposed area of the needle, on the side of the cloth from which the needle was passed, is the smallest. Accordingly, when force must be applied to the needle, the area to which the force must be ap plied is the smallest. Because of this problem, it was often necessary to use a thimble as an aid in pushing the needle through.

From the above-described problems, it can be seen that there is a need for a needle which can be easily threaded and to which pressure can be easily applied when the thread is being passed through the cloth.- In contrast, the needle of this invention can be easily threaded and pressure applied thereto when it is being passed throughthe cloth.

SUMMARY or THE INVENTION This invention is concerned with a needle having a point portion with a shank portion integral therewith. Intermediate the point and shank portion is a hook which is adapted to receive and bias thread therein,

BRIEF nsscnrmoN- F DRAWINGS FIG. I is a side view of the needle of this invention; FIG. 2 is a top view of the needle of this invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE P REFERR ED EMBODIMENT The hook generally comprises a slash or cut in the needle. It is fon'ned in such a way that its leading edge 14 is U-shaped in such a fashion that a strand of thread is guided into its lower extremities lo wherein the sides of the hook are biased slightly together. This construction rs particularly advantageous in that threading can be effected easily even by persons with poor vision and manual dexterity. For threading, a person, with two fingers, applies pressure in the direction of arrows 20 and 22, a third finger applies opposing pressure at 23. Because the needle is formed from a flexible material this pressure causes a slight bending which opens the hook. When the hook is open the individual slips a strand of thread into the hook with his other hand. Pressure is then removed from the needle allowing the hook to close and thereby biasing the strand of thread therein. With this simple operation, the threading of the needle of this invention is effected. It can be seen that this threading operation does not require good eyesight or manual dexterity.

The dividing line between the point and shank portions comprises arcuate surfaces 24 and 26. These arcuate surfaces are desirable as they allow an even transfer of pressure between the point and shank portions when the needle is being flexed to allow threading.

Needle portion 6 has a round cross section and tapers inwardly from the vicinity of the hook to a fine point 10.

The maximum width of the shank portion is approximately constant. The shank 'portion can have a round cross section. However, in accordance with the preferred embodiment of this invention as illustrated, two sides of the shank portion are shaped so as to form flats 18 and 19. While these flats can be smooth in finish, it is preferred that they incorporate knurled surfaces 21. This knurling allows for the easy gripping of the needle such that finger pressure can be easily applied for pushing the same through cloth. Because of these easy gripping properties, a thimble is often not needed when sewing with this needle.

In sewing, maximum resistance is encountered by a needle at that point when the needle and the thread are being passed through the cloth. With needles of ordinary design this point occurs when the surface area of the needle remaining on one side of the cloth is almost minimal. That is, this point occurs just before the whole needle passes through the cloth. For this reason with the prior art needles, a thimble is often least effective when the need for maximum thrust is of primary importance. In contrast, the needle of this invention, when the maximum pressure is needed, the whole shank portion is still exposed and can be easily gripped and hence finger pressure can be easily applied without aid of a thimble.

I claim: I

l. A sewing needle comprising:-

a point portion having a fine point at one end;

a hook portion of generally constant diameter integrally connected to said point portion;

a shank portion having a knurled surface and being integrally connected to said hook portion, said hook portion being located centrally between said point portion and said shank portion; and

' an oblique slit fonned in the surface of said hook portion forming a hook, the sidewalls of said slit being resiliently separable by flexing the point and shank portions causing said slit to open for insertion and biasing sewing thread firmly in said hook portion;

2. The needle of claim 1 wherein said point portion and said shank portion are of the approximate same length, said point portion is longer than said hook portion.

3. The needle of claim 2 wherein two sides of said shank portion are flat to facilitate the gripping thereof.

4. The needle'of claim 3 wherein the flat sides of said shank portion are knurled. 

1. A sewing needle comprising: a point portion having a fine point at one end; a hook portion of generally constant diameter integrally connected to said point portion; a shank portion having a knurled surface and being integrally connected to said hook portion, said hook portion being located centrally between said point portion and said shank portion; and an oblique slit formed in the surface of said hook portion forming a hook, the sidewalls of said slit being resiliently separable by flexing the point and shank portions causing said slit to open for insertion and biasing sewing thread firmly in said hook portion.
 2. The needle of claim 1 wherein said point portion and said shank portion are of the approximate same length, said point portion is longer than said hook portion.
 3. The needle of claim 2 wherein two sides of said shank portion are flat to facilitate the gripping thereof.
 4. The needle of claim 3 wherein the flat sides of said shank portion are knurled. 